In Real Life (IRL)
by whitechocobo
Summary: Final Fantasy is the latest and most popular large scale MMORPG released by the L'Cie Corporation two years ago. Millions of players have joined and participated since. All are completely unaware of the game's biggest secret except for one Hope Estheim. Chancing upon that secret led to an encounter with a frosty eyed woman with eye-catching rose colored tresses.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Um. Don't hate me?

Title: IRL

Rating: T

Description: Final Fantasy is the latest and most popular large scale MMORPG released by the L'Cie Corporation two years ago. Millions of players have joined and participated since. All are completely unaware of the game's biggest secret except for one Hope Estheim. Chancing upon that secret led to an encounter with a frosty eyed woman with eye-catching rose colored tresses.

Disclaimer: Just no.

* * *

 **PROLOGUE**

The young man stared in wonder at the scene unfolding before him. A dark, deserted, and desolate metropolis. Building after building, some beyond and some just below the horizon. He caught a glimpse of a lone shore in the distance. As he dropped down from the portal, he took in as much as he could of his surroundings. He landed on the ground with an audible thud. He glanced back up and saw that the portal he had passed through had already disappeared. He raised his hand and slowly summoned a small ball of fire to light his steps as he explored the so-called hidden location 'VALHALLA'. Ever vigilant, he cast Shell and Protect in preparation for any ambushes; the absence of players did not equate to an absence of vicious monsters.

Passing by a few buildings, he felt that it had not been designed for exploration by players at all. There were no save points, no stores or even NPCs . What else would one expect of a secret area that had not even been mentioned by the game developers? Was it simply a patch of junk code they forgot to remove?

He didn't know how long he had been walking or how far he had gone, but there was one place that had immediately caught his attention upon his arrival. The tallest building was definitely keeping something, the winding structures around the top a dead giveaway. As the rule of adventurers' go, leave no area unexplored and leave no treasure untouched.

He ambled along the empty roads; his sight was focused on the distant building, but he was still very alert to his surroundings.

Finally arriving at the threshold of his target building, he found two large very old wooden doors. He gazed thoughtfully at the two doors then raised his hand and cast an Aeroga that pushed them wide easily. Beyond the doors and at the very center was a single Cieth stone waiting for him, floaring soundlessly and letting out a faint red glow. Drawing closer, he paused for a moment and began casting his usual array of defensive spells. He double-checked his equipment and items one last time and turned to face the stone. He took a breath readying himself for whatever place he would be teleported to. He placed his left hand on the stone and watched the scenery suddenly dissolve around him.

His vision turned white momentarily, and suddenly another voice registered in his ears.

"He has arrived, kupo." A cute voice echoed. His eyes readjusted to the sudden dimness of the room and focused on the floating throne framed with crystals junctures a few meters away.

It was not so much the throne, but rather the beautiful rose-haired woman seated on it looking down at him that had his gaze transfixed. Her lips were pressed into a firm line and her blue eyes were sharp and fierce, boring into him.

She slowly stood up, her attire catching him off-guard. It was strange. He was not familiar with her equipment at all, and he had already completed his item list at this time. There was also no Valkyrie class in the game design. He discreetly casted Libra to gain a little bit of information on her. She didn't seem to be a monster nor was she showing his open hostility. If she wasn't a boss, what was she?

An information pop-up soon appeared above her head as soon as he finished his spell.

UN: Lightning

Class: Unknown

Level: Unknown

HP: Unknown

MP: Unknown

He stared, dumbfounded. In another breath, her figure flickered slightly and she suddenly disappeared from her previous position. She reappeared a second later about two steps from where he was standing.

Avatars in the FF world were based on the original appearance of a person. The person in front of him right now was nothing less of stunning.

"Mog, begin data transfer upon contact." Her stern voice resounded in the enclosed area. There was a light raspiness to her voice.

"Roger, kupo!" A small pink creature with wings and a red bobbing pompom on its head suddenly appeared from behind the woman. It was carrying a small staff and flew from left to right.

Momentarily distracted by the unknown familiar, he failed to notice when the woman took another step closer and pressed her palm against the chest of his avatar. He stared in surprise as strips of code data began to appear and rotate around her arms.

Could she be – taking his information? That's illegal and against the agreement upon sign-up!

He struggled to break free but found his body completely immobile. Paralysis!

He closed his eyes and visualized his menu, swiftly choosing to auto-cast Dispel. He opened his eyes and slightly moved his fingers. In the next moment, a Thundaga spell came crashing down from the ceiling and targeted the woman in front of him.

He jumped backward from the impact and was momentarily blinded. He opened his eyes to see the outcome of his attack. His eyes widened at the sight of the woman standing completely unfazed and untouched on the same patch of blackened ground where he had aimed his spell.

His spell had definitely hit and that was one of his strongest magic spells! How could she be unharmed? He gazed at the status bar above her head and his jaw slackened.

HP: Immortal

Immortal?

Impossible! NPCs only showed 'Invalid' whenever another player tried to attack them and even final bosses in games were never immortal. Sure, some had cheap regenerative abilities and numerous forms – but they were _never_ designed to be immortal unless…

He gazed at the figure with his brows furrowed, "Are you a System Administrator?"

Her eyes flickered slightly at that question.

"I can see why Caius would choose you." She said vaguely with a quiet sigh.

"Download was incomplete, kupo. Shall we try again?" the cute floating creature asked the woman.

"No need. I got what I needed." Her gaze had been wholly focused on him during their conversation.

He silently cast Haste on his body. He may not be able to damage her, but he could at least try to run away.

She raised her hand slowly – that single action opened up Hope's menu and immediately moved onto the log out pop-up.

To be able to easily tamper and manipulate his menu like this only proved his guess true. He shot her one last look and saw the same indifferent expression on her face.

"You can't run," she said softly but very clearly in his ears.

Next thing he knew, he was suddenly staring at the ceiling of his apartment. He slowly pulled off his Virtual Platform. There were beads of sweat on his temple and he wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt.

"What just happened?" he asked out loud, a flash of electric blue reminded him of the encounter once more. He shook his head slightly and gazed at his platform for a few seconds. He picked it up and placed it by his head board.

He definitely wouldn't be playing for a few more days. He picked up his laptop by the nearby table and one by one began to methodically change his account passwords and double the security of his files. That woman had gotten quite a bit of dirt on him and he knew a lot of people wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of some of that information. He spent the whole night backing up all his data and changing all of his email addresses. It was better to be safe than sorry; he wasn't a multimillionaire, but he had amassed quite a bit of money from working over the years and there were some things in his possession that others would covet.

At around 8:00 AM of the next day, he finally lied back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

"Lightning," he murmured.

 _You can't run._

Hope Estheim slowly opened his eyes just he was drifting into sleep.

"That's not to say that I won't try my hardest to do so." He said determinedly, finally succumbing.

* * *

Endnote: Um. Leave a review? Ha ha!


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I suppose the exact contents is pretty vague at this point in time so I figured this next chapter might clear things a bit about the premise of the story somewhat. Leave a review if you feel like it.

Title: IRL

Rating: T

Description: Final Fantasy is the latest and most popular large scale MMORPG released by the L'Cie Corporation two years ago. Millions of players have joined and participated since. All are completely unaware of the game's biggest secret except for one Hope Estheim. Chancing upon that secret led to an encounter with a frosty eyed woman with eye-catching rose colored tresses.

Disclaimer: Nah. Moogles are way more eligible owners.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **Contact**

The beginning of Hope's troubles was something frustratingly simple.

A lone empty tube of toothpaste.

About a week and a half after his online encounter with UN Lightning, Hope found himself staring at the empty tube of toothpaste on his bathroom sink his toothbrush already on hand. He put down the brush and opened the side cabinet, finding no spare box in its usual pile. He visibly frowned at this.

He stood up and stared at his reflection in the mirror for a few moments trying to decide his next course of action.

He didn't want to go out and he could just order the other stuff online – but that would still take quite a while to be delivered to him and he had a lot of deadlines to meet today.

The question was whether or not he could bear going through the next few days without brushing his teeth.

Sighing, Hope reluctantly picked up his mouthwash and gargled a mouthful before heading back into his room. He changed into a dark blue hoodie and white shorts, all the while inwardly cursing his ingrained proper hygiene from his mother.

He couldn't stand getting to work without brushing his teeth in the morning. Just the thought of how unclean his teeth would be made him shudder. He was supposed to shop a few days ago, but the memory of the pink haired woman he encountered was so vivid that he couldn't take a single step out of his home.

Until now.

He glanced at the clock. 6:04 AM. It was too early for most people. Hope believed he could drop by the nearest 24H convenience store and get back without running into any mishaps.

"I can't believe I'm throwing caution away in favor of a tube of toothpaste," he grumbled to himself as he made his way to the front door.

A quick glance at the mirror by the door brought about another small frown on his face. Hope paused and ran a hand through his hair – failing miserably to tame his bedhead. He promptly gave up after a few more unsuccessful attempts. He gave another sigh and popped a breath mint, to be sure, before picking up his key and heading out. The door gave an audible beep as he pulled it shut and Hope boarded the elevator with practiced ease.

Once outside, he put on a pair of shades and moved quickly. It was easier since there wasn't much of a crowd on the streets at this time.

The door chime tinkled as he entered the store a few blocks away and Hope moved with purpose. He got what he needed and just as quickly, he was at the counter paying the cashier. All of a sudden a very bad feeling washed over him – it was like the feeling when he was on a mission online and a PK suddenly locked onto him out of the blue. He turned his head towards the door just as it opened to reveal a familiar face. Hope froze as he took in the whole figure.

At the door smiling pleasantly at him was a petite girl with short blonde hair in a light blue sundress.

Hope fished out her name from his memory like a doctor squeezing out pus from an infected wound. Not something you wanted to see.

Alyssa Zaidelle – Hope's resident stalker.

Hope cursed under his breath and hardened his expression. He glared at the smiling girl and didn't shift his gaze as the cashier handed him his change and his purchase with a puzzled expression.

"You're not supposed to be here, Alyssa." He said icily. "Or anywhere near me, as a matter of fact."

She took a step closer and Hope took a step back.

"Oh, Hope," she said airily with a laugh and Hope hated hearing his name from her. "You think a single restraining order will be enough to keep me from you?" her eyes were glittering with mirth.

The clerk looked a bit alarmed at her words and turned to Hope. "Sir, do you need me to –?" the clerk began to ask, gesturing to the phone and Alyssa turned to him with a vicious glare.

"Don't you dare! Do anything more than breathe and I'll gouge your eyes out." She said venomously. The clerk also took a step back and raised his hands in front of him as a sign of surrender.

Hope gritted his teeth, "I hoped it would be better than the alternative." He responded quietly.

 _Prison_.

The word hung silently between them.

"Still such a softie," she said affectionately. "Of course, that's one of the reasons I like you so much." She uttered with that same pleasant smile, taking another step towards him.

"Stay away from me!" he bellowed, feeling the fear creep up his spine. He wasn't sure what this girl would do to him this time. He had just barely recovered from the last incident and here she was trying to push him over the edge again. He had forgotten his beeper on the table by his bed so he couldn't call for help from anyone.

"Is there a problem here?" a calm and steady male voice suddenly intruded from behind Hope.

Hope glanced back in desperation and found a brown haired youth, slightly taller than him looking at Alyssa questioningly. Hope eyed the name tag on the youth which read, "LEON". 'Leon' briefly glanced at Hope, seeming to see something in Hope's eyes before he turned back to the girl.

"Miss, I'll have to ask you to leave. You're bothering our customer." He said coolly, addressing Alyssa.

Alyssa still held her smile. "But I'm a customer too, Sir."

Leon stepped in front of Hope, blocking him from Alyssa's view. He cocked a brow and gave her a look, "Our customers don't usually come in here concealing a weapon," he said wryly.

Alyssa's smile melted at that statement and she pulled out the knife sheathed on her thigh.

"Don't get in my way!" she said angrily. "I won't let anybody get between Hope and me."

"See here, I don't like repeating myself." he said with a sigh, "either you leave or…"

"or what!" she taunted, pointing the knife at his direction.

Hope couldn't see the other guy's expression at this moment, but he saw how Alyssa's stance had gotten more rigid at his silence. Hope could also feel goosebumps just from standing near the employee called Leon.

"I'm only here for Hope." She didn't lower her knife but her voice was less sure this time. "This has nothing to do with you." She spat out. Hope could detect a note of fear in her voice this time.

"I'll give you 3 seconds to make your choice." Leon said quietly.

Alyssa simply glared at him and held her place.

"1."

Hope tried to move but a single side glance from Leon made him pause mid-step.

"2."

Hope swallowed and kept his eyes on Alyssa whose stubborn nature he knew all too well.

"3." He said with finality. "Don't tell me I didn't give you a chance."

Hope was shocked as he watched the brow-haired youth abruptly rush towards Alyssa. She screamed at his approach, slashing wildly. Hope held his breath and watched as Leon effortlessly grabbed her flailing wrist, disarmed her, and knocked her out all in less than a minute. Holding her unconscious body, he looked back at Hope.

"What do you want to do with her?" he asked simply.

"P-police station." Hope was barely able to choke out a response.

"Alright." Leon nodded and shifted his gaze to the cashier. "I'll be back in a bit, think you can handle the store on your own?" The cashier guy nodded enthusiastically.

"Dude! That is totally worth a pay raise!" The cashier exclaimed with a laugh, he looked disbelievingly at his co-worker.

"I doubt the Boss's going agree with you on that." Leon chuckled and shook his head as he swung Alyssa over his shoulder.

"Coming?" he asked Hope who was still rooted to the spot.

Hope slowly shook his head. "Just tell them she tried to attack me again. I don't like talking to policemen."

"So a physical offense against…?"

"Hope. Hope Estheim." He understood that Leon had been asking him for his name for the report. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's all good," he said nonchalantly, "Subjugating crazy women is all in a good day's work." He joked as he made his way out of the store.

Hope heaved a sigh of relief and glared at the toothpaste on hand. This thing had better be worth all this trouble.

* * *

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Seated at the wheel of an inconspicuous black car was a pink-haired woman, tapping her finger on the steering wheel in perfectly sync with each passing second. Her eyes were closed and after a few more silent taps, the door to the passenger seat opened.

The same brown-haired youth from the convenience store seated himself and shut the door behind him with a casual greeting for his companion. The pink-haired woman opened her eyes slowly and glanced at him from the corner of her eye as he settled into his seat.

This was also the same pink-haired woman Hope Estheim had encountered in the online game Final Fantasy a few days ago.

UN Lightning.

"What was all the commotion about?"

'Leon' shrugged his shoulders and took the name tag off his black shirt.

"The target's stalker appeared."

The woman's brows furrowed. "I remember a restraining order was placed on his stalker six months ago. The other divisions can't even enforce a simple restraining order?" there was a hint of displeasure in her voice this time.

"On the bright side, it allowed the perfect opportunity to initiate contact with him." He answered easily as he began to dress himself, somehow being able to pull on a white long sleeve polo despite the cramped space.

"What do you have to report about the target?" Lightning asked in the same no nonsense tone.

"He seems like a pretty normal guy." He carefully buttoned his cuffs. "He showed fear when faced with a threat, normal reaction." As he pulled on a black double breasted coat, he gave a sardonic smile. "Also, he didn't seem to like dealing with the police."

"That's unfortunate." She responded lightly. He hummed as well, a smile playing on his lips.

"He'll most likely come to see you to express his gratitude for your help."

"You mean for 'Leon's' help, of course."

Lightning threw him a withering look. "Yes to 'Leon', but I'd like to remind 'Noel' to stick to the plan."

"Roger, Captain." Noel responded promptly. "I feel a little guilty manipulating him like this, especially if he turns out to be a good guy," he added quietly.

"It can't be helped. He's the only one who can help us now." Lightning let out a sigh as she gripped the wheel a little tighter. "There's not much time left. It's taken long enough for us to even find him." In her usually indifferent voice there was a note of exasperation and irritation.

Both of them were silent.

"You know what's at stake, Noel." she said with finality.

"I know." He answered, a resigned expression on his face.

A phone buzzed and the Lightning answered a call.

"All right. Call me if anything else happens."

She glanced at Noel. "We're switching out with the others. We have to head back to HQ to report to Amodar."

Noel just nodded as she shifted gears and drove away, her gaze steady and firm on the road.

* * *

End note: I'm actually more used to writing really long chapters which is probably the reason why I always take so long in updating. I figured I might as well try the short chapter more frequent update this time around to sustain this fanfic as compared to my others which are always on indefinite hiatus. I know how much it sucks waiting, so I hope this approach would be better.


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